With eight miles separating Chaminade’s Middle School and High School campuses, a day when both student bodies can come together as one is quite special. Wednesday, March 7, was one of those memorable occasions as all Chaminade students, faculty, and staff gathered in West Hills for the 24th annual Founders Day Mass.
Established as a celebration in liturgy, Founders Day honors individuals, who in their work as employees or volunteers, have made significant contributions to Chaminade. This year’s event commended alumnus Richard Hunsaker ’58 as a Founder of Chaminade College Preparatory.
A graduate of Chaminade when it was located at the original campus in Cheviot Hills, Hunsaker was a member of the School’s fifth graduating class. As a student, he was involved in numerous school activities including sodality, drama, Letterman’s Club, student government and earned selection to the academic Honor Roll. Sports were a particular love for him, and he lettered in football playing left tackle and in basketball he was a dominant center.
After Chaminade, Hunsaker attended USC and graduated in 1963. He then entered the field of Civil Engineering, and in 1976 founded Hunsaker & Associates with Doug Snyder, John Michler, and Tom McGannon. Today, Hunsaker & Associates has offices in Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego; and the company has designed successful master-planned communities throughout Southern California.
In addition to the Building Industry Association, Orange County Chapter’s Gwen Rosebeary Award, Hunsaker has been bestowed with the 10th Annual Tribute to Excellence award for his outstanding contributions to the homebuilding industry and community. In 2003, he was inducted into the California Building Industry Foundation Hall of Fame. Hunsaker is also an active supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, Taller San Jose, and served on the Construction of the Diocese of Orange. He recently completed six years of service on Chaminade’s Board of Directors. In 2001, Hunsaker was named “Distinguished Alumnus” of Chaminade. He helped to facilitate the development of the School’s building program, and was instrumental in serving as chairman of the Board’s physical facilities sub-committee and ad-hoc building sub-committee.
Hunsaker and his wife of 47 years, Regina, have three children and eight grandchildren. An active member of his church, St. John Vianney Chapel on Balboa Island, Hunsaker is a Knight in the Order of Malta, a lay religious order whose mission is to defend the faith and serve the poor. In addition, he has made seven trips to Lourdes caring for the sick and completed a pilgrimage walk across Spain in 2005 and 2008. He is blessed, and so is Chaminade.